Leadership in Action: Comfort Zone: How to Win Buy-In for Diversity Programs

Clarification

Find out what people in the organization think about the diversity initiatives already in place. This is part of accurate assessment. When you bring up the word diversity, acknowledge right away that it means different things to different people. Ask what other people think when they hear the word. For example, to some people it implies ethnic or racial differences only, not gender differences. In Europe, nationality is often more significant, and race is seen as something that Americans are more concerned with.

Find out whether everyone feels included in the diversity programs. Leaders in the United States, for example, might ask white men whether they feel invested and included in the diversity efforts or whether they think of ...